Pipe wrench



June 19, 1951 D. COLE 2,557,342

PIPE WRENCH Filed Jan; 22, 1949 3m entor (Ittorneg Patented June 19,1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to a pipewrench, generally, and more particularly, deals with a wrench "or tongsadapted to handledrill pipe, well casing 'in the well-drilling field.

' 'In well-drilling, drill and casing pipe varies in outside diameterbetween a present minimum of 2% inches and a maximum of 8% inches. In mytwo earlier patents, Nos. 2,224,142 and 2,243,272, I provided a pipewrench or pipe tongs that would handle pipes varying considerably insize but which, however, could not have universal use because the limitof variation was in the nature of some three inches. Consequently, therange of pipes in the smaller sizes were handled by one wrench and thosein the larger sizes by another.

An object of the present invention is to provide a pipe wrench of novelform that is adapted to handle all sizes of pipes conventionally used inwell-drilling and in the maintenance of flowing wells. 7 Another objectof the invention isto provide a pipe wrench structure that embodies twoselective pipe-gripping positions, the smaller thereof being adapted tohandle a range of small pipes and the larger thereof a range of largerpipes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pipe wrench, asindicated, in which the larger station is additionally adjustable forgreater flexibility in use.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that arepositive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a workingposition and easily disconnectedtherefrom, economical of manufacture,relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novelcombinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear inthe course of the following description. However, the drawings merelyshow and the following description merely describes one embodiment ofthe present invention, which is given by way of illustration or exampleonly.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts inthe several views.

Fig. 1 is a face view of a wrench according to the present invention,with the handle thereof broken away, and showing the same applied to apipe in the smaller range of pipe sizes.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the elements ofthe wrench and showing the same applied to a pipe in the larger range ofpi sizes.

The pipe wrench that is illustrated comprises,

generally, a handle 5, a jaw link 6 pivotally connected to the handleand associated with a wedge cam l formed on said handle, a latch link 8pivotally connected to the free end of the jaw link 6,

a keeper link 9 having adjustable engagement with the latch link 8, alink it pivotally'con- 'necting the handle 5 and the keeper link 9, and

resilient means H for urging the latter link into operative latchedposition. The handle and links above provided, in all operativepositions of the wrench, comprise an articulate pipe-encirclingstructure that, with easy facility, can be applied to handle pipesvarying up to three and one-half to four times the size of a minimumpipe size.

The handle 5, at the end where it carries links is and it and on theside toward which link 6 is directed, is provided with the wedge cam I.The latter comprises a convex edge on the handle that is provided withteeth or like pipe-gripping means to obviate slippage.-

The pivots for links 6 and I0, designated [2 and 53, respectively, arearranged longitudinally of the handle with the latter at the inner endof the handle and the former immediately adjacent thereto. 1

The jaw link 6 is formed with a recess [4 for receiving a pipe in thesmaller range of sizes, said recess being defined by a toothed grippingface i5 and a relatively angularly related face l6 which,-if desired,may be similarly roughened. The pipe p is adapted to reside in saidrecess against faces l5 and l 6 and to be wedged therein by wedge cam '1upon rotation, in a clockwise direction, of the handle about pivot l2.

The jaw link 5, at its free end, carries a pivot 11 that connects itwith link 8 and, between said pivot'and wall !5, there is provided aconvexly curved toothed wall 18 which forms one of the jaws for engaginga pipe P in the larger range of sizes.

The latch link 8, at its outer free end, is provided with three abutmentsteps 19, 20 and 2|, that are successively nearer to pivot ll. Two ormore than three such steps may be provided, as desired. Said steps haveselective engagement with keeper link 9 and eachis provided with ashoulder 22 that limits the position of the latter link when engagedwith each respective step.

The step [9 defines one edge of a curved projection 23 that forms theoutermost end of link 8, said projection, in a direction toward thepivot [1, having a concavely curved face at 24, said face beingapproximately transversely across from step 2| on the opposite side ofsaid link. Be-

tween pivot l1 and curved face 24, said link is provided with obtuselyangularly related toothed gripping walls 25 that cooperate with wall 18of link 6 to grip a pipe 1?.

The keeper link 9 is connected to link H] by a pivot 26. Said keeperlink, at its free end, is provided with an elongated outwardly curvedhandle part 21 and between said part and the pivot, with a longitudinalslot .28, said slot, between link=lil and a shoulder 29 defining thehandle part," being of such extent that the'same is receptive of link 8when face 24 is engaged with link 8 and step 2| is engaged with saidshoulder 29. When so engaged (Fig. l), projection-23 protrudes throughslot 28 and any force seeking to withdraw link 8 from the slot iscounteracted by the convexly curved edge. 300i said projection. In otherwords, linktcannot"be"withdrawn from engagement with link 9 by afipullin the direction of pivot l7, but the keeper link 9 can be rotated onits. pivot 26 to effect separation from the latch link.

The keeper link, on' the inner sidethereof, is provided with a-pair ofstoplugs 3Ladjacent pivot 26 and with an abutment 32 opposite to said'stop 1ug's.

Thelink' 10, on its-inner side, is provided with obtusely angularlyrelated. gripping faces. 33. that complete the encirclementiof a pipe?andcooperate with faces 18 and' 25. On the opposite side, said link isformed with aseat'34 for a compressionspring '35 that is confined byabutm'ent'32 of link 9. 'Said spring-exerts. its force in a direction torotate link 9 inward about its pivot '26. 'To limit such rotation, link10- is provided with abutment shoulders 36 that engage stop lugs"3l. Itcanbeseen therefore, that the means II which comprises spring 35-andrelated elements, actsat all timesto urge link 9 into engagedcooperation with-latch link 8.

When being applied to pipes in the small range of sizes, links 8 and- 9aredisengaged and link 6 swung out on its-pivot I2 toadmit-the-pipe'between wedge cant I and the-inner end-oi face 8 intorecess 1 4. Links 8 and 9-are then re-engaged as in" Fig. 1. Movement ofhandle 5 in a clockwise direction will cause relative movement of pivotsl2 and I3, resulting in link-'6 exerting a pan onlinkfl, and link lexertingapull on link 9. Links Band Bare, therefore, held interlocked asthewedge cam and-wall I grip pipep. Continued 'clockwise-movement-ofhandle 5 will rotate saidpipe inaclockwise direction. Atop-forbottomreversal of: the wrench will rotate said pipe in the opposite direction.

-For pipes which'will not comfortably-enter recess 14,- the arrangementoi-Fig, 3 is used. "For the largest of the larger pipes P, step l9.is.engaged with shoulder 29. Now, as -the pivots I2 and 13 are movedrelativelybyclockwise:movement of handle 5, the same opposed pullson:links Band 9 holdthemengagedso that the gripping faces I8, and 33 canefiect rotation of the pipe.

A slight counter-clockwise movement of the handle 5 will permitseparation of links 8 and 9.

For sizes of pipes between pipes p and P, step 5 2B or 2| may be engagedwith shoulder 29 with like results.

While the invention that has been illustrated and described is nowregarded as the preferred embodiment, the construction is, of course,sub- 0 jGCtZ-tOlImOdifiCatiOIIS withoutdeparting from the spirit andscope of the invention. It is; therefore, not desired to restrict theinvention to the par- :ticular form of construction illustrated anddescribed, but to cover all modifications that may {5 fall within thescope of the appended claims.

' 'l laving thus described my invention, what I .olaimanddesire to.secure by Letters Patent is: "1.In a pipe wrench, a series of fourpivotally connected links arranged to encircle a pipe, at

0 handle pivotally connecting two of the links and vmovable toarticulate. saidcircleofi links three of said links having pipe-grippingwalls. directe'dtoward each other, means. separably and...adjust- 3..Inaspipe 'w-rench :having;alhandleaandaa series; or pivotally connectedlinksypivota lycarried by an end of said handle, said links beinarranged to encircle a piperand "the-handlebeing movable to articulate;said links .toggrip a pipe encircled thereby, the improvement thatcomprises wedge cam and jaw means:.on saidiendvofs-the handleand one ofsaid 'links for gripping a pipe of smaller size than can beigripped by.:the, mentioned oircleof links.

JDELBERT ,COLE.

.REFERENCES ,CITED "The following references are -of recordrinnhe file 1oi this p'atent UNITED STATESPATENT Number Name 3 Date Re.,1.7-,597Adams :-Feb.. ;l8,. 1930 1,483,486 :Scott. Feb..1 2,,1924 2,329,196pHambly 1- Sept. 14,;4943

to 2,406,520 Wilson -.A g.-,2 7, 19 16 v 2,446,410 Couse -Aug;. 3, v19482,466,032 ,Lundeen. -Apr.1 .5',-;l949

